Many of us dream of building a custom ride to reflect our personality. We pick out a vehicle that we love and then start to imagine it with different wheels, tires, or with certain engine modifications. Before we know it, we are basically imagining it with new and custom everything. We want the interior to look a certain way with X, Y, and Z features. Under the hood it has certain modifications, and all said and done, the exterior would look a certain way. We generally start down the path of modifications with some of the major stuff but for one reason or another, we generally never get the opportunity complete the full transformation.

If you are fortunate enough to be one of the few, you almost instantly become the envy of your friends. Having dedicated so much time, effort, and money to the project, the ride becomes almost like family. We baby the vehicle almost to the point we don’t drive it as much as we should. Well, that isn’t the case with everyone and Carlos Acevedo is one of those who enjoy it at every opportunity.

Not only was he able to have his dream truck built, but he works the heck out of it with more than 600,000 on the odometer, and still climbing (fast). For Acevedo his dream ride is a 2005 Peterbilt 379. After trucking for almost 20 years, he was finally able to take his rig to Texas Chrome and have them work their magic!

It may not look like it, but this grille flows a lot of air. Acevedo has no issues with overheating while driving in the Texas heat hauling tankers.

Roland Mendez is the design guru at Texas Chrome and after talking to Acevedo he put together a stunning design. It all starts up front with the custom Texas Chrome grill insert and massive 22-inch front fiberglass bumper. Just above the bumper is a set of chrome five-button JJ Bar lights backed by Talladega Fiberglass Gangsta Style front fiberglass fenders. Wrapping up the front styling is a 12Ga Custom sun visor.

The modifications continue as you walk around the side of the truck. The Talladega Fiberglass cowl and sleeper panels fill the gap between the frame and the cab, giving the truck a much more refined look. Added to the panels are dozens of button lights that Texas Chrome installed to really set the truck apart at night. The cowl panel hugs the custom Texas Chrome step and tuck-in behind the 8-inch Lincoln Chrome exhaust stacks.

Behind the cab, eight additional (10 total) loading lights were installed to make sure Acevedo can see while hooking his loads up and the Texas Chrome deck plates ensure that nothing falls between the frame rails.  When Acevedo isn’t hooked to a trailer, a custom fifth wheel hitch cover keeps dirt and debris off the hitch.

Double hump fenders add to the unique features on this Peterbilt 379. They give a polished look to the 280-inch wheelbase.

With a 280-inch wheelbase, the double hump Talladega fenders in the rear really give the truck a polished look. Not to mention they surround the Bridgestone 285/75R24.5 tires that are mounted to Alcoa 24 1/2-inch wheels. Stainless Steel dive axle hub covers with punched holes from the Chrome Shop Mafia were added to give the wheel/tire package a unique look.

Adding to the finished look, Texas Chrome also fabricated custom panels between the fuel tanks, in front of the rear axles, and a rear bumper. Then LED, lights were added.

This hitch cover doesn’t get used too often, but when it does, it looks great!

As if all of the exterior modifications didn’t make the truck stand out enough, a custom red and white color scheme by Texas Chrome makes you take notice. We originally ran into Acevedo during the Shell Rotella Super Rigs show where it captured our eye among the other heavy hitters.

The customization doesn’t end with the exterior. To help Acevedo stay awake and entertained on long hauls, a custom stereo system was installed. A Pioneer head unit sends power to a pair of Phoenix Gold amplifiers, which boost the signal and feed the door speakers as well as the two 10-inch woofers mounted just above the doors.

Acevedo also upgraded the factory steering wheel with an 18-inch four spoke United Pacific mahogany steering wheel that better matched his factory wood dash. Then the pedals were swapped out for a chrome set, as well as the door handles and some of the switches. Finally, to keep in contact with everyone, a 5,000 watt CB was installed.

Acevedo was born and raised in Puerto Rico. When Texas Chrome painted the truck, they added this subtle touch as a nod to his home. The details like this, takes a custom truck to the next level and celebrate a personal journey.

Under the hood the stock C15 Caterpillar was rated for 475 horsepower, but that wasn’t quite enough for Acevedo, who hauls tankers around. He upgraded the air filter to a K&N mounted in a Richardson housing. Then, he took the truck over to Holt Cat to have perform custom tuning. By the time they were done, the engine produced 550 horsepower. The extra 75 horsepower not only helps him get over the hills easier, but it doesn’t require any other major driveline modification, even though at 550 horsepower the engine is producing about 1,850 lb-ft of torque.

For Acevedo this is a dream come true truck. He has been trucking since 1997 and an owner/operator since 2000. Growing up in Puerto Rico, he had custom cars, but once he started driving professionally, he had to give up his customs. After dreaming of owning a custom rig for years, he was finally in a position and fulfill his dream. The rigs name is Mi Orgullo, which means My Pride.